Aderholt Supports Budget Control Act of 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 29, 2011
CONTACT: Anne Marie Malecha, 202.225.4876

Aderholt Supports Budget Control Act of 2011
Delivers Critical Cuts, Spending Limits and Puts America on an Immediate Deficit Reduction Plan

Washington, D.C.— Congressman Robert Aderholt (AL-04), today issued the following statement after the Budget Control Act of 2011, passed the United States House of Representatives by 218-210. The Budget Control Act cuts and caps discretionary spending, takes measures to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse in multiple federal programs, requires the consideration of a balanced budget amendment and provides a $900 billion debt limit increase ensuring the continued financial stability of the United States.

“The Budget Control Act passed today may not be a perfect piece of legislation, however it provides reasonable spending cuts that exceed the increase in the debt ceiling while at the same time protecting Social Security, Medicare and veterans benefits,” said Aderholt. “We did not get in to this budget mess with a single vote. House Republicans have consistently cut spending at every turn in an effort to get us out of it. And the Budget Control Act is the best step at this time in the fight to require Washington to live within its means from here on out.”

“The national debt has increased by $3.7 trillion since just 2009 and today it stands at nearly $14.3 trillion dollars. That’s $46,000 per American citizen. We cannot continue down the same path and expect a different result. The measure puts in place immediate spending cuts and then spells out a process that sets spending caps that limits future spending. Cutting spending and setting caps on future spending is the only way that we will get Washington on to the path of fiscal responsible and to renew economic and job growth,” concluded Aderholt.

Bill Highlights

• Cuts and caps spending by $917 billion over 10 years, beginning with a FY12 budget that is $22 billion lower than FY11;
• Caps discretionary spending each year for the next decade requiring Congress make sound spending decisions from here on out;
• Continues reducing discretionary spending annually (by $96 billion in 2012, $118 billion in 2013, $115 billion in 2014, $117 billion in 2015, and so on);
• Requires Congress to draft proposals that produce spending reductions of at least $1.8 trillion;
• Does not raise taxes on hard working Americans;
• Includes program integrity cap adjustments to ensure adequate funding of programs to reduce waste, fraud and abuse in health careand Social Security;
• Defines emergency spending, specifying spending must be for the prevention or response to the loss of life or property or a threat to national security that is unanticipated and temporary;
• Creates the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, a 12-member Committee tasked with developing recommendations by December to reduce the deficit by at least $1.8 trillion over the next ten years;
• Requires both the House and the Senate pass balanced budget amendments to the Constitution before the second debt limit increase occurs;
• Redirects $17 billon to the Pell Grant program, to reduce the projected shortfall for 2012 and 2013;
• Provides the President the authority to increase the debt limit by $900 billion, $400 billion of which is available immediately to avoid default. Further if the recommendations made by the Joint Committee to reduce the deficit are enacted and include spending cuts larger than the debt limit increase, and a balanced budget amendment is sent to the states an additional $1.6 trillion increase to the debt limit will be available for use at the President’s discretion;
• And ensures that in all cases, the debt limit increase is smaller than the total reduction in spending.
  

Aderholt currently serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Homeland Security for the powerful House Appropriations Committee, is a member of the Committee’s Commerce, Justice and Science; and Agriculture Subcommittees, and also serves on the Helsinki Commission.

For more information about Aderholt’s work in Congress visit www.aderholt.house.gov.